Post-Exercise Hypotension After Water Exercise

Hypertension is the most prevalent cardiovascular disease risk factor among individuals 60 years of age and older. Hypertension can be prevented and modified with lifestyle interventions that include regular exercise. Water exercise is widely recommended for older adults for a variety of health benefits, but few studies have assessed the immediate ambulatory blood pressure (BP) response to water exercise, a response termed postexercise hypotension (PEH). We will assess PEH after a session of water aerobics in physically active, older women with hypertension. Twenty-four women will be randomly assign to participate in a 45 min session of moderate intensity, water aerobics (WATER) and a 45 min land control session (CONTROL). All experimental sessions will start at 9 am sharply with 7 days between them. Subjects will left the experiments wearing an ambulatory BP monitor for the next 21 hr.